Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
WA-bred six-year-old Paul Edward revealed excellent fighting qualities to overcome the effects of overracing in front as well as the considerable pressure applied by the tough campaigner Hillview Bondi and cling on to win the $31,000 APG Industry Owned Summer Series NR 30-90 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Paul Edward, trained by Dylan Egerton-Green and driven by Maddison Brown, was the $2.20 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, and the pressure he endured resulted in an excellent rate of 1.55.6 for the 2130m journey.
Hillview Bondi ($11) began from barrier six and he made life tough for the pacemaker who was able to keep his adversary at bay after 400m sections of 28.8sec., 28.2sec., 29sec. and 29.1sec.
Brown now has driven Paul Edward three times for two wins and a second placing, and the stallion, bred and owned by Steve Johnson, has earned $193,724 from 13 wins and 24 placings from 68 starts.
“It was a gutsy effort after overracing,” said Brown. “Dylan said that if there was too much pressure I should hand up because he also goes well with a sit. But I couldn’t hand up even if I wanted to because he was tugging too much.
“About the 400m he dropped the bit. Dylan had told me to avoid pulling the plugs, but I had to get them out to get the bit up in his mouth.”
Paul Edward is by Always B Miki and is the ninth foal out of Like A Dame, who raced 36 times for three wins (two at Kellerberrin and one at Wagin) and twelve placings. Like A Dame has produced eight winners, including her second foal David Hercules, who amassed $1,263,159 from 39 wins and 35 placings from 108 starts. He won the Group 1 Fremantle Cup in January 2015.